Paddle tennis court



y 14, 1968 R. J. REILLY, JR 3,383,108

PADDLE TENNIS COURT Filed April 23, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR. RICHARD J. EE/LL we.

/5 26 H6. 5 26 BY fidih 6/ A TTORNE) y 1968 R. J. REILLY, JR 3,383,108

PADDLE TENNIS COURT Filed April 25, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 13 C15 INVENTOR. Fl 6 l O Elm/Am: J- REILLXJJE.

A TTO/ENEY United States Patent M 3,383,108 PADDLE TENNIS COURT Richard J. Reilly, Jr., Twin Lake Road,

South Salem, NY. 10590 Filed Apr. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 450,546 4 Claims. (Cl. 272-3) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure relates to paddle tennis courts. Basically, it teaches the fabrication of the deck in two equal zones bordering at the net. Each of the zones is composed of a plurality of unitary boards of equal length supported parallel relative each other and lengthwise rela tive the court. To join the two zones a pair of key joists are spaced from each other. The board ends of each zone are connected to the top of one of the key joists and a member joins the bottom of the key joists. By this teaching true bouncing is assured and deflections throughout the length of the court are made uniform even under severe impact loads.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements 2 in the construction of paddle tennis courts, and has for its object to provide an uninterrupted parallel unit board surface on each side of the centrally located playing net.

A further object of the invention is to provide a court surface for the game of paddle tennis which is free from unevenness and other irregularities and which at the same time provides sufficient adhesive friction between its sur-" face and the shoesoles of the players to permit the necessary quick steps and sharp turns that are inherent in playing the game.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a playing court for the game of paddle tennis which may be used year-round, and which is easily cleared in the wintertime after a snowfall.

A further object of this invention is to provide a playing surface for the game of paddle tennis which is not affected by extremes of temperature, but retains the same character in below-freezing weather as in the heat of summer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a playing court for the game of paddle tennis whereon there can be no accumulation of moisture, as in puddles after a rainstorm, and thus there is eliminated the danger of warping from retained moisture.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a play ing area and surface for the game of paddle tennis having adequate lighting and protective walls of net or wire mesh.

Another object of the invention is to provide a paddle tennis court playing area in which maintenance costs are minimized.

With the above and other objects in view, this invention consists of the novel features, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all views, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a paddle tennis court;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of same;

FIGURE 3 is an elevational fragmentary view;

FIGURE 4 is a detail View taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a top plan view of the floor;

FIGURE 7 is an elevational view of a net post;

FIGURE 8 is a transverse sectional view of the floor support; and

3,383,108 Patented May 14, 1968 FIGURE 9 is another plan view of the floor, showing a slight difference in the construction of the latter; while FIGURE 10 shows a detail construction pertaining to the floor.

- Referring more particularly to the drawings, FIGURE 1 illustrates the fundamental construction of a paddle tennis court comprising four heavy corner posts as indicated at 10, and a number of somewhat lighter posts 11, while a top rail 12 connects said posts, with diagonal bracing 14 arranged in support thereof.

The said structure is in turn supported by a substructure consisting of very heavy beams 15, some of which rest upon concrete piers 16, while floor joists 17 supporting the floor or deck 18 are in turn supported by the heavy beams 15; and the posts 11 are at the lower ends thereof supported by bracers 19.

The floor or deck has the usual markings 25 incidental to conventional paddle tennis courts, as shown in FIG URE 2.

At points along the periphery of the said floor 18 there are outlets, or ports 20 provided with horizontally operated swinging doors 21 for access to said court and for disposal of snow and the like, which can be swept out through said ports, thus facilitating the cleaning and maintenance of said playing floor.

Small metal strips 22, as shown in FIGURE 3, formed with eyelets 23 are attached at opposite ends on one side of said swinging doors and adapted to receive pins 24 secured to the intermediate posts 11 whereby to permit said swinging doors to move freely thereon. The said swinging doors are reinforced by brackets 26, as shown in FIG- URE 5.

A tightly woven strong wire fence surrounding the entire construction is held in place by suitable attachment to the corner posts 10 and the intermediate posts 11.

The floor 18 of the paddle tennis court is made in two sections, each section being constructed of boards each thirty feet in length, in side-by-side arrangement and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the paddle tennis court. Since each section of the said court thus measures thirty feet in its linear axis, and since the conventional paddle tennis court is sixty-one feet long, the additional one foot of length is provided by two boards, 28, 28, each six inches wide, disposed at opposite ends of the said court in transverse position with respect to the said thirty-foot boards comprising the said two sections. Such transverse boards are shown in FIGURE 9. In this arrangement, which is the preferred one, the two sections of the court are brought into abutment at the center, as at 29.

An alternative arrangement is shown in FIGURE 6, wherein the additional one foot of length of the court is provided by a transverse board 30, which is twelve inches wide, centrally disposed between the said two sections of the court. Beneath said transverse board and parallel with the floor joists 17, there is provided a joist 31, heavier and stronger than the other two joists. The combination of the transverse board 30 and joists 17 and 31 serves to strengthen the saidcourt, providing continuing rigidity and evenness thereof.

In FIGURE 10 there is shown a slight modification in the construction of my invention, as the abutting ends of boards 43 are secured to key joists 17, 17, which, while arranged in close relationship to each other, are still separated, and supported by a block member 44 which, in turn, rests upon the heavy beam 15.

In order to allow proper drainage and to permit expansion during periods of high tempenatures, the boards comprising the playing floor are arranged non-contiguously as at 41.

The tennis net 42 indicated in FIGURE 2 is secured to poles 32, one of which is shown in FIGURE 7; said poles are removably disposed in steel tubes 33 for raising or lowering said net.

Suitable arrangement 34, of a commonly known construction, is made for raising or lowering poles, while pins 35 for securing the net in the desired position are inserted in apertures 36 in the said poles.

It is obvious that changes may be made in the form and construction shown and described herein, Without depanting from the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claims, and I do not, therefore, 1

desire to limit myself to the exact disclosure set forth herein.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A paddle tennis court comprising an elongated rectangular deck with a net mountable transversely midway along the length thereof, the deck comprising two zones bordering at the net with their adjoining edges spaced from one another, each of the zones comprising a plurality of unitary boards mounted on spaced transverse joists with the boards of each zone of equal length and parallel with each other as well as lengthwise relative the count,

a pair of transversekey joists provided at the net and spaced from each other,

the boards of each zone fastened to the top of one of the key joists,

a member joining the bottoms of the key joists to each other.

2. The court of claim 1 with each of the zones having at least one transverse boalrcl forming a margin remote from the net.

3. The court of claim 2 with the unitary boards arranged non-contiguously for surface drainage.

4. The court of claim 3 with a low fence surrounding the court and screening mounted thereabove,

the fence provided with at least one opening for access and removal of material from the deck,

a swingable gate hinged at its top to the fence and 0peratively arranged relative the opening.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 25 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. 

